Ace
by wayiiseewriting
Summary: An arranged marriage Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden and Logan Elias Huntzberger has been set in place since they were both in diapers. (Gilmore Girls - AU)
1. First Event

Ace: An arranged marriage Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden and Logan Elias Huntzberger has been set in place since they were both in diapers. They have been friends since the young age of ten years old, and Logan always kind of adored his friend. Now, when the youngest Gilmore-Hayden turns eighteen years old, it is the Huntzbergers job to court her, date her, and/or fall in love with each other.

Author Note: In my AU world of Gilmore Girls, Lorelai the Second ran away from home and moved to the small town of Stars Hollow. But she did not run away from the high society world of Hartford. When baby Gilmore-Hayden was still in diapers and mama Gilmore was struggling to make a life for her family, she went back to the world she hated to help her and her daughter make a better life for herself.

Young Gilmore-Hayden, herself, is a little more relaxed. She does take school and all that seriously but knows when to relax, have a drink and enjoy a party. She did grow up in the 'lime light' of Hartford after all.

I do have the next three chapters planned out.

Anyways, enjoy.

\- Ace -

Part One: First Event

At age fourteen years old, the youngest Gilmore known as Rory, was told she would would be married to the youngest Huntzberger at the age of twenty-one years old. Lorelai - known most as Rory - took the news a little hard. She went quiet at dinner as her grandparents and her parents kept talking. She was friends with the teenager since they were tens years old and was afraid of her future.

At the age of sixteen years old, Logan Huntzberger was sat down at his birthday with friends in hand and told he was to wed the youngest Gilmore. He made a sub party after checking that his friend since childhood was not there and drank his feelings away with some of his best friends that he made at boarding school.

Logan knew that he liked the younger girl, he always had a crush on her. He promised to make this - the marriage, the relationship everyone else planned for them - something special. He was going to love his wife, his wife was going to love him - unlike the marriage between his mother and father.

\- Ace -

The clock hits a little after midnight when Rory Gilmore hears a knock at her dorm door. She sighs, waiting for only a moment before getting up and opening the door. She didn't want the knocking to wake up her roommates if she didn't have too. Lucky, she was not sleeping and wasn't bothered by the knocking. She opens the door dressed down in Yale sweatpants and a dark blue tank top. "Love, you are not dressed." Finn Morganston says with a drunken laugh.

"How did you find out where I lived? What are you even doing here?" Rory asks, rubbing her eyes for a moment. "Aren't you and the boys suppose to be in the Fiji?"

"We leave in two days. But we have an important night ahead of us." Finn says. "Did you think we would forget about you and your first night at Yale? We have a tradition. The people who you call friends. Anyways...get dressed! We have things to do and people to go get."

Rory puts her hands up. "Alright. I won't argue. But you owe me coffee..." She knew from experience it was better to go along with Finn then fight against it, after a while you would go along with his anyways. Once Finn had something in his mind, he wouldn't let it go.

"Lots of coffee in the morning. We all do not want an angry Rory Gilmore. Now go get dressed or you will been seen in these sweats."

"What am I dressing for?"

"Cute and comfortable." Finn leans against the tree. "Now, hurry."

\- Ace -

Rory is the last to step into the apartment on the third floor. She smiles watching Finn talk to the other two people she picked up.

The apartment building was a mile away from Yale, and had a wonderful view of the city. The apartment itself was dressed up with christmas lights, posters from movies from the 1980's and the 1990's, bowls of all different kind of candies and lots of different alcohol.

Finn pops his head in Rory's personal space. "Well, come on. Come on. Things to do." He takes her hand, pulling her to the front of the group. "Now. Shhh." He pushes a small glass, what can she can smell, Tequila in her hand.

Colin McCrae, the boy Rory has known a years after meeting him through Logan, stood on a table with a similar glass in his hand. He stands tall, with a smile on his hand, before speaking loud and proud, "Hello, my fellow Freshman and returning students of Yale. Usually we do something big and wonderful for the opening of the school year but with three of the elders taking off , we had to help with the other plans. So, tonight, on the eve of the first night of classes, we are throwing an all out sleepover. So mingle. Drink. Be merry."

"And show your faces freshman! You were brought here for a reason!" Rory smiles at the voice who just spoke, Logan Huntzberger, one of her best friends. "To us." He lifts up a drink then downs it as he invites the rest of the group to do the same.

Rory downs her drink, looking around the crowd to see who was invited to the party.

\- Ace -

The clock hit three am when Logan Huntzberger found his future bride to be on the deck outside the apartment. She was sitting in a chair, drink in her hand and covered in one of his hoodies. "You stole my hoodie." Logan says in a disappointing tone.

She nods at his words, looking at the bottle in his hands, smiling. "And you reward me by bringing me Tequila. What a guy."

"We need to talk. I remember what you said on your eighteenth birthday at your grandparents house. Tequila always helps." Logan sits down in the chair next to hers. He opens the expensive bottle of Tequila of Tres-Quatro-Cinco, pouring her glass full and another glass for himself. "How's your night going? I was surprised you showed up."

"I can not say no to Finn." She mumbles, bringing her cup to her lips and sipping the drink. She enjoyed the taste of Tequila."I feel like this is why you had him come get me."

"You know me so well." He leans against his chair.

She sips her drink, working on her fifth drink of the night. "So you said we need to talk. What do we need to talk about?"

"I want to talk about us." Logan says softly. He looks up to the moon than to the woman beside him. "I would like to take you on a date, if you would let me."

"A date?"

"We both agreed, after you turned eighteen, we would go try this out."

"Make us getting married easier when I am twenty one and you are twenty three." Rory says softly.

She remembered the night after her fourteenth birthday. She remembered going to the Huntzberger's mansion, hands in her pocket and wanting to talk to Logan. They sat in his bedroom, she listened as he vented. She remembered raising her voice and grabbing his attention, and his promise. His promise that they would do this right, they take their time and they would do this dating thing the right way when she was eighteen.

Logan nods, then softly speaks. "Let me take you on a date before I leave. A hell of date, one you will never forget."

She smiles gently at him. "You think you can do that?"

"I want to try." Logan says, meaning every single word that he said. "So, tomorrow night and five pm, what are you doing?"

She makes a face, biting her lip for a moment. She thinks about her schedule, knowing her last class ends at two thirty pm that day. "Going on a date with you."

Logan grins, happily. "Well, to us, Ace." He clinks her glass with hers. His thoughts go to the both of them, about the close friendship he had with Rory and the engagement that was dropped on them. Over the years since the sitting down with his parents on his sixteenth birthday, he didn't mean to but he fell in love with the woman who he joined outside.

He had a whole plan how to woo the woman he was going to marry. Starting with the first date.

\- Ace -

She shivered.

She rolls over in bed, moaning softly as she feels the sun against the bare skin of her back. "Gagggg." She swears loudly. "What the fuck?"

Her ears perk up at the sound of a laughter at the door. "You are starting to sound like Finn." Logan grins from ear to ear.

She rolls over, facing him and anger written across her face. "You are cruel." She growls. She sits up in the bed, covering herself with the soft blanket on the king size bed she was laying in. "Thank you for letting me crash in your bed...with…" She looks over to the body next to her. "Is that Finn?"

He nods. "I kicked him out of the kitchen. He was laying on my counter, he was in the way to make coffee. I'm surprised he didn't wake you."

"I'm not. We did not go to sleep until five am." Rory mumbled, sliding a hand through her messy hair. "What time is it now?"

"Just about seven. I made coffee." Logan hands her a hot cup of coffee.

She looks confused for a moment. "What are doing up?"

"Haven't slept. I had a few things to take care of." He slips a key out of his pocket. "Are you sober enough to drive?" She gives him a look, then a soft nod. "These are the keys to Finn's car, the black BMW on the street. Take it Yale."

"Okay." She closes her eyes for a moment, letting herself enjoy the taste of coffee. "What about him?"

"He doesn't it need for the day." Logan smiles. "Just take it. I promise it will be fine, Rory. Take your time leaving, I will be in the couch. I need a nap…"

The young woman watches him leave. She feels her heart beating a little faster, she rolls her eyes.

God, she felt so lucky.


	2. First Date And An Imporant Question

Thank you for the kind reviews! You guys are awesome!

\- Ace -

Part Two: First Date And An Important Question

Logan woke up to the sound of breaking glass a few feet away from his head. He rubs his eyes for a moment, before sitting up on the couch. He looks over to the boys in the kitchen he calls his friends. "Who broke what?" He mumbles, half asleep.

Finn let's out a soft laughter. "Well, Colin and I had a bet."

"A bet?" He questions.

"A bet who could woke you up first. I won." The Australian native smiles ear to ear.

"By breaking the god damn glass! The one Rory picked up in Italy last summer for him. He loved that glass! I feel like I should win the bet!" Colin debates.

Logan lets out a laugh. "Finn has to tell Rory." He gets up from the couch, moving himself in the kitchen and pouring himself a half glass of water. "I do not like it when she is angry. I have some news, boys."

Finn moves himself on the countertop as Colin starts to pick up the glass on the floor. "Well, is it that you took young Hayden's innocence?"

Logan shakes his head. "No. Far from. Young Hayden and I have a date. A date tonight."

"A date?" Finn says. Then he sits up tall and shouts. "Young Gilmore is eighteen years old! You are going to start woo her!"

Logan smiles ear to ear. "I just hope I don't mess up our friendship."

"You will not." He states. "Rory has two big brothers that will keep you in shape."

"Since when does she have big brothers?" The young Huntzberger smiles as he turns around, leaning against the counter.

"Us, of course!" Finn smiles, the tone of his voice is very serious. "Colin and I are in love with the young Gilmore. Not like you, of course."Logan growls softly, mumbles something that the other two couldn't catch. "She is our little sister. We appreciate her. We love her. We do not want to see her hurt."

"I will not hurt her." Logan states.

"We know. I saw the love you felt for her since she was twelve years old. When she arrived at your house, tears in her eyes when her mother and father had a huge blow out. Do you remember what you did?" Colin asks one of his best friend.

The young blond nods softly, remembering the worry that ran across his body when he saw the broken girl ahead of her. "I gave her a hoodie. I pulled her in my room, and the four of us watched some kids movie she was dying to see."

"I watched you calm her down quickly. You rubbed small circles in her back, whispering things in her ear and she fell asleep against you." He smiles softly at the memory. Colin was proud of his friend at a young age. "Rory was struggling with coming from a small town and you took her in."

He shakes his head. "I remember."

"You made her one of us that night. You were falling in love…even at the young age, you were falling in love." He stated softly.

Logan lets out a soft laugh, grateful to remember that night. He gets interrupted by a thought, "What to the LDB think of her last night?"

"She got in. No worries. Besides being a Gilmore, she is one of us. They all liked her, and as Robert says, 'The way she can drink Tequila.'" Colin says.

He sighs, rolling his eyes at Robert's comment. Though they were friends, there was lots of tension between the two. He sees the time, he needs to head out soon for his first date. "I need to shower and pick up Rory. Can one of you two call the cleaners?"

Finn laughs, "Colin is on it!"

\- Ace -

Rory was nervous.

She felt like she had no reason to be nervous but she couldn't find a reason to be nervous, scared, or any other feeling but happy.

She was happy.

She slips on a lightweight cardigan over her dress, she slips on black sparkly flats and grabs her purse. She walks out to her dorm's common room, "You are early." She states, seeing her date dressed up in suit.

Logan shrugs. "Where's your bag?"

"What?" She looks at him confused.

'Your bag. Your overnight bag. Where is it?"

She tilts his head, frowning a little. "The rule still applies?"

The blond nods, "Of course the rule applies. I didn't think I would have to tell you, rule follower." She puts up a finger, walks to her bedroom and comes out minutes later with a Louis Vuitton overnight bag. "Good job, my darling."

"Are you going to tell me where we are heading out on our date?" She asks him, her fingers moving against the bag's handle.

He bends over, grabbing the bag out of her hands and then smiles softly. "Rory, surprises are better. We have talked about this."

"Am I too dressed up?"

"No. Come on. We are running late." Logan grins at her.

\- Ace -

Forty three minutes later, Logan enjoyed the look on Rory's face when he stepped onto the Yacht. "I thought we were going to dinner?" Rory asks.

"We are."

"On the boat."

"Yes, of course." Logan smiles softly. "Come on." He slips his hand in hers, moving her to the front of the boat. He sets out two glasses at a well dressed picnic table, pouring two glasses of champagne, and he kisses her cheek after she takes a seat.

"I'll be right back. I need to tell the captain we can take off now." The young Hayden smiles, nodding softly. She watches her future fiance walk off, then she takes a deep breath and enjoys this moment. This peaceful moment. Logan comes back, kisses her cheek and sits down before her. "Have I told you, you look absolutely radiant?"

She blushes, hiding her face for a moment. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself, you know?"

He smiles gently, laughing a little. "Thank you, Ace. You know I was a little nervous about this."

"With this date? Is that why you went all out?" She gives a little smile to him, one that she has learned to copy from Logan after all these years.

"Kind of. I wanted to go all because -you- deserve it, Ace. The both of us have been dealt something horrible with the contracts of our marriage. You deserve a great first date." He leaves out, _and everything else._

\- Ace -

Dinner and dessert went by quickly as the sun goes down over the ocean.

Logan planned the boat to drive past Gardiner's Bay and back. It would arrive back at the boatyard around eight am.

The conversation at dinner was a little about everything. Rory asked about Logan's plan again. He promised to communicate everyday they were gone. Logan asked about what Rory planned for her first year at Yale. He also made her promise to get out have some fun. He told her how Stephanie, Rosemary and Evie are still at Yale. He memorized her laugh, as she promised she wouldn't spend all her time focusing on school.

\- Ace -

She relaxed as she felt his body come up behind her. His arms slides around the front, then he softly puts his head on your shoulder. "Dinner?" He asks softly.

"Was a success."

"Dessert?"

"Oh, I fell for it. Head over heels." A little humor was on her lips. This was the best first date she's been on, or any date she has ever been on.

"Something is still on your mind, Ace." Logan hinted at. After all these years, Logan felt like he could read her like a book.

She turns around from the water to face him. "Besides what our future has planned for the books, you are leaving tomorrow. What's going to happen to us?"

He makes a side face. "I plan to come see you a couple times during the year. Also plan to talk, write, send postcards. I still want to court you." She blushes at the word court.

"I am going to miss you." She mumbles. "I am going to miss you a lot."

"I'm sorry." He mumbles. "But I am going to miss you too. But before I go, I need to ask you something?"

He pulls out a small blue box out of his pocket, The box that's burning a hole in his pocket since this afternoon when he slipped it in his pocket.

He opens the box.

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore - Hayden, will you please be my girlfriend?"


	3. Goddamn Ocean

Part Three: Goddamn Ocean

It's exactly five days before Valentine's Day when Colin McCrae gives the girlfriend of his best friend a phone call.

"'ello…" A sleepy voice answers.

Colin curses himself. He forgot about the time change, he always forgot about the stupid time zones. "Rory? I'm sorry…"

The other line is filled with sounds of movement but she doesn't speak for what seems like minutes. Colin is afraid she may of fallen back asleep. "What's wrong? Who's hurt?" She speaks, fast with her voice riddled with worry.

"No one is hurt. Physically at least." Colin says.

"Colin." The voice comes out. "I haven't had coffee yet. It's too damn early for your reindeer games."

"No games, Reporter Girl." The man sighs. "No games at all. Just it's Logan's birthday soon…"

"I know."

"And Valentine's Day."

"I think I can read a calendar." Rory's voice was filled with annoyance.

"Logan misses you. He misses you terribly. Maybe you can surprise him? Fly out here for a couple days or maybe a week?" Colin suggests. "He needs you. He won't ever admit to you. But he /needs/ you."

"Where are you going to be in two days?"

"The capital."

"Okay. I'll arrange to get there before you guys do." Rory says softly. "Thank you for calling me. Bye, Colin."

"Bye, Rory."

\- Ace -

In two days time, Rory walked off the private jet belonging to the Hayden family. She stretches bringing down her two suitcases and overnight bag with her. "Finn!" She yells. She was surprised that Finn was here, she thought Colin was suppose to pick her up. She was surprised, but she was happy.

The man grins. "Welcome to Fiji, love. So happy that you are here." He kisses her cheek, grabbing her suitcase. "How long do we have you here?"

"Fourteen days!" She let's out a little laugh. "Am I going to cramp your style being here so long?"

The Aussie man shakes his head. "No, never. If anything you might be able to get lover boy out of his funk."

Rory frowns. "Is he really struggling?"o Finn nods, helping her out her bags in the limo. "He never told me."

"Well, you only been dating for almost six months. He probably doesn't want to bug you with the issue."

Rory frowns. "But we've been friends forever…"

During her two weeks here, Logan and her would have a conversation about him, her, their relationship and his mental health.

This trip was going to be healthy for the both of them.

\- Ace -

Colin watches Logan in the store, miles away from the yacht that's parked in the marina. He looks down to his watch checking the time. Finn would be picking up Rory and bringing back to the Yacht.

"Logan. You already sent her a gift." Colin uses a disappointing tone, wanting to grab his best friend's attention.

"I know. But…"

"But she'll love it." Rory really would. Any first edition book was a sure way to her heart. "We are suppose to be grabbing food and alcohol for the trip." He reminds his friend.

"I'm worried that the gift isn't perfect. It's my first Valentine's Day with my future wife and I am far away…." His voice gets quiet.

"I know." Colin says, then he claps his hands together. "Now let's get what we came for and we can head back to the yacht, head on the water and celebrate Valentine's Day and your birthday but getting piss drunk in the middle of the ocean. Plus, Finn and I have some things for you. But you will never get them if you do not get moving."

"Alright. You are right, Colin." Logan steps back, moving his neck and cracking it before looking where his friend stands. "Let's get everything we need for the boat and a bottle of fantastic Whiskey."

"And Tequila!" He adds.

"Tequila?"

Colin swears internally. "Yes, Tequila. Let's buy what alcohol we can find. We don't have any limit. None at all. I'm sure between the three of us. We will drink it."

\- Ace -

Rory lays her hands against her midnight black cocktail dress, hiding in a small room along with her bags waiting for Finn to say the word. The midnight black dress was beautiful. The dress was strapless, and ended right before her knees.

She puts on light makeup with dark red lipstick. She puts her hair into a messy bun, a blue ribbon in her hair that matches her high heels and also her eyes.

An hour and a half passes when she first arrived on the yacht when she heard a knock on the door. She opens it with a smile. "What do you think, Finn?" She smirks.

"I'm thinking how sad it is that you are taken and I can't have a chance at you." The Hayden smiles, blushing. "The yacht has officially taken off which means Logan is ready for his present."

"Lead the way."

Rory follows the Aussie man up the stairs above deck. He tells her to wait here as he steps forward. "What are you doing?"

"Pouring myself a drink!" Logan argues, trying to take the very expensive but very tasty bottle of Whiskey out of Colin's hands.

"I told you we have someone coming to make your first drink!" Colin yells back. He hated that his best friend was very stupidly stubborn.

"And I told you, I don't want to drink with some chick that doesn't mean anything." Logan growls through his teeth. "I have a girlfriend. A very serious girlfriend."

"We know!" Both of Logan's best friends yell at once.

"Now, sit down." Finn pushes him in a seat. He takes a blindfold out of his pocket, a little grin growing on his face. "Now, I am going to sit put this around your eyes and you will leave it here until I say so."

"And if you move an inch before one of us takes it off, I will throw that bottle of whiskey into the ocean."

"If this blindfold gets taken off of me and I see a check handing me a glass of Whiskey, I /will/ throw you, Finn and that girl into the /goddamn/ ocean and leave you there." Logan promises the both of them. He sits into his chair, crossing his arms as he lets Finn blindfold him.

Colin goes and grabs Rory by the hand, making the shushing sound with his finger. He hands her the bottle of unopened Whiskey. She opens the bottle carefully after setting three ice cube in one small glass for Logan. She stands over him, making a notion to Finn to take off the blindfold.

She smiles as she holds his glass tightly, standing a few feet away from him. Instead of saying happy birthday or happy Valentine's day, she says the first thing that comes to mind. "You won't throw me into the ocean...right?"


	4. Three Little Words

Part Four: Three Little Words

He smiles.

Full on smiles.

This is when she realizes when he smiles her breath is taken away by the act. She more than loved the feeling.

"Rory. Never. Never would I throw you in the goddamn ocean." Logan smiles grows even more (if possible), moving from his chair and wrapping his arms around the woman before him. "I'm so happy you are here. What are you doing?!"

He asks as he brought her in a bone crushing hug. She lets out a little giggle, wrapping her arms around him when Colin take the shot glass from her hands. "Happy Valentine Day, Logan. And Birthday."

He kisses her cheek then moves his lips closer to her lips, gently pressing them together. "How long are you here?"

"Fourteen days. I hope that's not too much." She laughs, her arm still around him.

He grins. "I don't think that will be enough."

"Glad to see Logan's smile back on his face!" Colin says loudly earning a death look from Logan.

"Now with your Ace here. We can party!"

"Gimme the glass." Rory says, looking at the glass she held in her hands for Logan a short while ago. Colin hands it to his friend. She downs it quickly, smiling. "Let's party."

\- Ace -

Hours later, Rory stands against the white metal looking to the ocean.

The sun has died.

The music has died.

Colin and Finn were in the corner, drinking whiskey and talking about some Life And Death Brigade event when they arrive back in the states in September.

Logan poured himself a scotch on the rocks and a tequila also on the rocks with a sliver of lime for his girlfriend. He walks to where she stood. "Hey," He hands her the small glass, putting a hand on her lower back. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay." She says in almost whisper. She slowly turns around to face. "Tequila?" He nods. She brings the glass to her lips, sipping it with a smile. "Are you okay?" He nods once more. "Come on, don't lie. Something's wrong. I can tell. I don't like it when you don't talk to me." Her voice goes quiet.

"They told you…"

She shakes her head no. "They did not say a word about anything beside that they were worried."

"Worried?"

"About you, Logan." She downs her glass of Tequila. "Sometimes you never worry about yourself when you should. You always put others first, even when you are hurting. So - do me a favor? Pretend I am you asking you - who is me in this situation - and tell me what is on your mind. Because once we talk about this. Clear the air - we can move forward. And then you can enjoy your trip with your two best friends in the world and enjoy the thirteen days with your girlfriend before I have head back in the states. Let me be here for..."

"I miss you." Logan interrupts her rant.

"What?" The three words he confessed took Rory off guard. That is not what she thought he would say.

"I miss you."

Rory's heart melts.

"I miss you and this is a first for me. I don't miss people. Other people don't warm their way into my heart." He now downs his drink, needing the courage to move forward with this conversation. "Rory...I know we have been dating for six months and we have this density that the both of us will be married weeks, days, whatever after your twenty first birthday. And I had this all planned out that I wanted to make sure the both of us were in love before we got married. I just…" He stops talking for a moment - getting his words gathered in his thoughts, so they came out making sense. "I love you."

Rory looks to him, surprised. This is not the words she thought she would hear from Logan and before she could speak back, he kept ranting. "I love you. I miss you. And this is all new feelings for me. And fuck, Rory as much as I want to be on this trip, and I want to be on this trip, I want to be with you. The desire to be in the states, set alone, Yale University, is strong. And I am not use to this. And this is feeling is scary. But also pleasing...I just want to be with girlfriend and make sure she is happy. I hate being away from you…"

Rory sees her boyfriend take a deep breath and confesses, "Hey, Logan. First, take a deep breath. I'm afraid you are sounding a lot like me." She tries to keep the humor hidden from her voice. She takes the empty glass out of his hands, setting his and her glasses on the floor.

She sets now her free hand on his cheeks. "I love you."


	5. Moments From Fiji

Part Five: Moments From Fiji

\- Ace -

Rory stands watching all three boys bicker a couple days later. She laughs a little, sipping the summertime drink that Finn had to make for her. She wouldn't tell him, but she loved the drink. It sixty percent tequila, forty percent orange juice with something mixed in the drink. She also knew that it was barely two in the afternoon and they have been drinking since they all got up. Like Finn says, when in Rome. "What is the issue?" She asks, raising her voice a little to grab the boy's attention.

They each turned to face her. Finn smiles, "Well love. We wondered where you went. The baby blue swimsuit looks wonderful on you."

She blushes, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh, stop, Finn." She sips her drink.

"Come here, Ace." Logan lifts his hand, giving her a welcoming look. She takes it, letting him guide her to the railing. "Look at the ocean."

"The South Pacific Ocean." She laughs. She knows he loves the random facts she gives him throughout the many conversations they have had.

"Yes." He laughs.

"Why are the three of you bickering about the South Pacific Ocean?" Rory questions.

"We haven't jumped in it yet…"

"And you were fighting with each other to see who could go in first?" Rory looks to each person as they nod. She laughs, pushing her drink into Logan's hand. She slips off her flip flops, taking off the cardigan she wore over her swimsuit. She removes the hairband from her wrist, slipping her into a ponytail. "I can solve this. Lucky, I have three very well men in my life who have taught me about living life to the fullest." She swings her legs over the bars, looking into the water once more. She lets out a little laugh, closing her eyes before pushing herself away from the bars and dropping into the ocean below her.

Her heart is beating a million beats per minute. She opens her eyes.

She resurfaces, her smile filled with happiness. She lets out soft laughter, looking up where she sees three faces looking at her. "Hayden!" Colin is the one to scream. "What the FUCK?!"

She shrugs. "Join me then you can scream at me on the top of your lungs." She laughs as she looks around her. "This is beautiful, wonderful. Come join me boys!"

Finn grins, getting himself over the bars. "You heard the girl! Let's join her!"

He disappears into the blueness. Colin looks to Logan with horror. "She's kind of scary."

Logan lets out a deep laugh, finishing the drink his girlfriend gave to him minutes ago. "Not scary. Not crazy. She can just keep up. I love that about her."

"That she's not afraid to enjoy life?" Colin asks, confused.

Logan nods, dropping the cup on to the floor before moving himself to where Finn and Rory both stood. "I love that she can keep up with us, that she has her own crazy ideas, that she loves not only me but each of us as family." He looks back to Colin once more. "That she drives us crazy."

Colin laughs, a nervous laugh. He asks himself before joining his friends, "Why the fuck do I hang out with them?"

\- Ace -

She slips on black sweatpants, a bright pink neon tank top. She slips on one of Logan's hoodies, she stole days earlier, and heads out to the big living room in the middle of the yacht. She sits inches away from him on the couch, laying her head on his shoulder. "What is the plan for the night?" The yacht was parked shoreside in some city off the coast. Both Finn and Colin were off the boat for the night, leaving Logan and Rory to their own entertainment.

"I was thinking, an old fashion movie night." He smiles, enjoying how comfortable Rory was with him.

"Oh, do you think you can handle that?"

"Very much!" Logan says with a bright smiles. "You stay sitting down. I will grab everything."

She laughs. "Wait...before you do that. Can I ask you something?" Logan nods, whispering yes. "Do you think we are going to be good together? When we are both married off?"

"Oh, yes." He says truthfully, honestly. "I think unlike other couples we have seen and grew up with...we will come out on top. We are doing what is best for us and that's taking the time and knowing each other before we become a married couple. I am already in love with you. And the feeling grows every single day. My body, my heart already aches for you when we are apart." He confess to her.

Rory smiles. She was ready. She wanted, needed to say it. "I love you." She says for her first time.

Logan's heart skips a beat. "You don't have to say because I did, or feel like you have to because of where we are going in our realtionsh…"

Rory interrupts him. "I am telling you because I want too. Logan Elias Huntzberger, I love you. I am head over heels for you. "

He smiles, leaning closer to her. His lips inches away from hers. "Can...can I kiss you?" She nods, he doesn't waste a second and he starts kissing her.

\- Ace -

A soft gasp, a whisper of air signifying her pleasure, escaped the lips of the young Hayden.

She was on her back on a delightfully comfortable mattress. The sheets were likely absurdly expensive. The bedroom belonging to her boyfriend, her future husband. The man who was right now had his face between her legs.

Rory and her lover were naked, their clothes on the floor a trail from the door to the bed. The last article that had been removed had been her panties. They were a dark red. Logan had said that he liked them. Then he said that he liked them even better once they were on the floor, before tearing them off her.

Then the young man had taken her to bed, asking once more if she was sure.

She gasped when he licked her. "Fuck, Logan..." she whimpered when he did it again, his tongue stroking over her wet nether lips. He looked up at her with a cocky smile and licked again, this time flicking over her clit. He pulled back and kissed along the inside of her thigh. "Logan…" She says, trying to focus to have this important talk and not his lips so close to her clit.

"Yes?" She hears him asks.

"I...I never had sex before…"

Logan stops what he's doing, moving so his face was in front of hers. "I'll be gentle as I can. It will hurt, but it gets better." He promises her.

She nods, a little. "I love you." She wanted him to hear it, she needed him to hear the words coming out of her mouth. She loved him. She knew he felt the same way about her.

"I love you."

She closes her eyes for a moment, letting her mind go back to focus on Logan's soft kisses down her body.

\- Ace -

"Where's the Whiskey?!" Finn screams on top of his lungs.

The yacht was at a stand still. The ocean had no waves, the moonlight gave off perfectly. Logan and Colin, who didn't want to deal with a drunk Finn and Rory - who couldn't get in trouble in the middle of the ocean -, were asleep with the four men crew leaving Finn and Rory at their own devices. "Shut up! Shut up!" Rory yells her words in a surl, behind the bar. "I'm making you a drink! Sit!"

Finn listens. "Yes, ma'am."

"Don't call me ma'am." She growls. She pours a heavily whiskey drink, sliding it over to one other best friends. She brings her eighty percent tequila filled drink to her lips. "I like the ocean." She says.

"You like the ocean." Finn repeats her words. "Are you glad you came?"

She nods, moving from behind the bar to the seat besides Finn. "Very. Life is very weird without you the three of you to fill it. This guy, Robert, from the Life And Death Brigade is an ass. He doesn't take no for an answer."

"You didn't tell me this or the boys?'

"I'm handling it." She says truthfully. "Last time he asked me out, I took his eighty five dollar shot of whiskey and ruined his expensive shirt. He was angry. I thought it was funny."

"Do it again! When the boys and I get back to school?"

She smiles, softly. "Maybe. Finn…"

"Yes, love?"

She let's out a laugh. "I wanna do something crazy."

"Like?"

She grins. "I wanna drive the boat." She quickly moves from her seat towards the steering wheel. "Finn!" She screams.

Finn is shaking Logan thirteen minutes later, an oddly sober look in his face. "Logan." He says once more. "Gotta get up. We crashed the boat, mate. Rory needs you…"

\- Ace -

Part Six, The Aftermath and Heading Back Stateside


End file.
